Big cat gets some steel

With security a hot topic, Jaguar is looking to pounce with an armoured car.

Big cat gets some steel

With terrorism, kidnapping and even risky occupations on the increase, demand for armoured cars is also rising and Jaguar is the latest luxury car maker with a made-to-order security model.

Jaguar Australia is talking to the British High Commission and other consulates in Australia about importing the model, which is designed to protect its occupants from firearms and blast attack, robbery, kidnap and car jacking.

The XJ Armoured Long Wheelbase is designed for heads of state, high-profile professional people, diplomats and celebrities. They'll need to have deep pockets as well as a need for protection because it isn't cheap. In the UK it's about 2.8 times the price of the supercharged V8 Jaguar XJ Super. In Australia this car costs $234,900, so applying the same increase would make the armoured version about $658,000.

Visually, the XJ Armoured is almost identical to the standard XJ sedan but it has bullet-resistant laminated glass, under-body protection, steel and titanium armour and run-flat tyres.

The borosilicate glass is designed to withstand a comprehensive range of hand guns and assault rifles and the armoured body shell is reinforced with ballistics resistant steel, while there is Kevlar underfloor sheathing.

Other equipment includes a tamper-proof exhaust, intercom system, self-sealing fuel tank, a cabin with its own oxygen supply and a titanium armoured roof.

The chassis has been altered to suit the car's occupational requirements and to cope with the substantial increase in weight. It is designed to be responsive to a more aggressive driving style with strengthened silicon alloy springs and Bilstein dampers replacing the standard air suspension. Brakes are upgraded with Alcon six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear operating on bigger, ventilated discs.

Jaguar has a support program of four scheduled visits a year by a technician to ensure the vehicle's systems are in order and owners will be offered specialised armoured vehicle driver training.

The armoured engineering has been done in conjunction with US armoured vehicle specialist, Centigon, of Cincinnati, Ohio.